hey everyone! so i'm a bit new to this thing, and i really need some suggestions. i'm not even really sure where to start, but i have this looming fear that i'm going to go to the store and buy products that are all wrong for my hair, and me, being the not-waster that i am, would have to deal with frizzy, weird, in between curly/wavy hair!

so this is what i know about my hair so far: i'm a 2a (maybe mixed with a little 2b), i have low porosity, and very dense hair.
i've tried not washing my hair before with some kind of mixture of BS, but i really can't remember what else i put in it. but i do know was that my hair was disgusting for a while until i decided to wash it again. it was greasy, stringy, and lifeless. i now use all natural products and they make my scalp feel really good. i stopped using products with sillicone, paraben, and sulfates because not only did they make my hair feel stiff but i always felt like my scalp was unhealthy.

so can you guys help me? i'm pretty sure i can't go no poo, which i'm fine with. i've read alot of good things about deva curl low-poo and i'm thinking of using that as my first go at the CG method, but as for everything else i'm completely lost. what kind of conditioners should i use? i read i'm supposed to use protein-free products, but also moisturizers, hair milks, and humectants?? when do i put those in? do i need to buy all of those things? ahh, i need help!

sorry for all the questions! i'm just really, really curious! thanks in advance all!

If you already don't use sulfates or silicones, then you technically already are CG. Going CG doesn't mean you have to buy "CG" specific products - lots of people are CG and use drugstore products. Whether or not you co-wash is up to you - a lot of wavies prefer to low-poo instead. The Devacurl low-poo is a great place to start - some people love Deva, some don't, but only you will know your your hair responds. It can be a little confusing and overwhelming at first when you're looking at product ingredients. I saw your other post about humectants, so I'm not going to focus on that. As far as staying away from protein, that really depends on the texture of your hair (thickness of the individual strands). Did you get a hair analysis done? If you have fine hair (individual strands are thin), then your hair should like protein. If the strands are course (thicker), then you should stay away from proteins. Proteins will either say protein, or amino acids, or keratin, or collagen. There are also some plant-based/natural sources of proteins. If you like the conditioner you already use, and it's silicone free, there's no reason you can't keep using it. If you feel like its not performing well, it could be you need more or moisture, or adjust the amount of protein.

2c/3a, botticelli/wavy/'swavy (huh?)

fine, dense, normal porosity/elasticity, dry climate

My favorite brands are Kinky Curly, As I am, Curly Kinks, Curl Junkie, and Darcy's Botanicals. Also love sealing with oils (loving argan oil right now) and styling with jelly products (KCCC is my current favorite). Mostly trying to keep it simple!